GTA3: A Narration
by nick01kang
Summary: A summary of the story of GTA3. A little humor hidden inside the story. Also, I did change some parts of the story. I don't own GTA: that's the property of Take-Two Interactive. Chpt 8 UP!
1. Give Me Liberty

Grand Theft Auto 3: A Narration

**Chapter 1: Give Me Liberty**

Our story begins outside the Liberty City Bank. It is late at night, but there are signs of activity from within. A blue Banshee then drives up near the bank. Why would someone visit the bank late at night? We're about to find out!

Just then, the burglar alarm inside the bank was triggered, along with the back door of the bank being burst open. Out came a fiery woman armed with a pistol and her accomplice, carrying the loot stolen from the bank. The driver was part of the bank robbing crew. He emerged out of his car, and provided cover for his female accomplice, who was also his girlfriend. He fired his shotgun, and then followed his accomplices. However, he was going to regret it!

Turns out, the "girlfriend" had no intention of sharing the loot! She had killed her other accomplice, and now waits for her "boyfriend" to come out of the alley. He did, and she aims two pistols at him, and says, "Sorry babe, but I'm an ambitious woman, and you …" She shoots him with her pistols. The man, whose name was Claude Speed, was caught by surprise, and shot! She then finishes her line, "… you're just small time!" She then grabs the loot she left behind, and left in the blue Banshee, while Claude lays on the floor, bleeding. In his condition, the LCPD caught him in no time at all!

After a unanimous verdict, Claude was sentenced to ten years in prison. On the day of the transport, he was loaded onto a police Enforcer, along with 2 other people: 8-Ball, a bomb expert and fellow comrade in crime, and an old man, probably an Asian and his late sixties. They were to be transported to a prison in Portland, in east Liberty City. Things were going smoothly, but things soon turned bad after the convoy were crossing the Callahan Bridge.

At the Callahan Bridge, the police convoy was followed by a white van, which dropped a bomb at the middle of the bridge. A Patriot drove up and blocked the police convoy. The trick worked, and the convoy was stopped. 2 men, who looked like Latinos, came out of the back of the van. They were armed with assault rifles, and they were after someone in the convoy.

"Come on!" The first yelled, ordering the police to open their transport, aiming his rifle at a nearby policeman.

"Senor Dickhead!" The second followed, also armed, threatening any policemen who tried any funny business.

"It's no problem to kill you!" The first exclaimed. The 2 Latino gunmen then headed to the open Enforcer, and fetched the old Asian man out of the Enforcer. "You gonna be sorry!" They then proceeded to bring the old Asian man into their van. There, their business was done. "A 'right, a 'right! Get lost!" They said while heading back to their van! The police, glad that all was over, decided to move on. Unfortunately for them, they were wrong! Claude and 8-Ball saw this as their chance to escape. 8-Ball came out first, knocking a nearby guard out. Claude, still in the Enforcer, tripped another policeman down, and grabbed his keys, and unlocked the cuffs around his hands. He then went out to help 8-Ball release his cuffs too, but after that deed was done, something big happened! The bomb that the thugs dropped earlier: it soon went off, and there was a big flash, followed by a huge explosion that rocked everyone on the bridge, including Claude and 8-Ball. The Callahan Bridge was blown in half, and luckily for our heroes, weren't hurt.

When they came to, they saw the blown bridge. They were safe from more police reinforcements, for now! But now they need a place to lie low! It won't be long before the police came after them. 8-Ball notices a nearby abandoned cyan Kuruma, and tells Claude about his plans.

"I know a place at the edge of the Red Light District where we can lay low, but my hands are all messed up, so you'd better drive, brother." Apparently, 8-Ball had injured his hands and they're bandaged. It was impossible for him to clutch the steering wheel. Claude said nothing, and hopped into the abandoned Kuruma, and drove according to 8-Balls' direction. Claude then turned on the radio to find out if they're discovered.

"Liberty City is in shock today as police and emergency services deal with the aftermath, of a devastating attack on a police convoy this morning. As yet, no details have been released about the prisoners being transferred in the convoy, and no proof has claimed responsibility. A convoy left police headquarters early this morning, for a routine transfer of felons, to the Liberty City penitentiary. The attack took place on the Callahan Bridge, leaving few witnesses, and the bridge itself, severely damaged. Some of the convicts are thought to have perished, in the explosion that followed the initial attack. Revelations as to the professionalism of the attack, struck police hours afterward, when identification of the missing felons were further hampered by an attack, by computer hackers on police headquarter databases. With the Porter tunnel-project falling behind schedule, this disaster leaves Portland isolated from the rest of the city."

Claude felt lucky about it. At least nobody can get him now, since the Portland district, where they are now, is now inaccessible. Also, he and 8-Ball also need not worry about the police coming after them. Right now, what Claude has in mind is a place to stay, and looking for a job to earn some money. Claude then drove on to 8-Ball's hideout.

They arrived, and because it was late, decided to change their clothes and have a good night's rest. Claude then went to park the car in the nearby garage. He had a rough day, and because of the shots from the bank heist, could not speak. So he just did what 8-Ball said: take a good night's rest.

Next day, 8-Ball asked Claude for another favor: bring him to meet Luigi, an old associate of his. Claude decided to do it! After all, a friend of 8-Ball's could become a friend of his, and maybe this Luigi guy can provide him some jobs. They hopped into the cyan Kuruma, and drove to Luigi's club in the Red Light District, a place called "Sex Club Seven". It was located very close to their hideout, so it wasn't too much of a problem.

At Luigi's Club, they decided to use the back door, the place for employees only. As because Luigi was a member of the Mafia, one of the biggest gangs in the city, Claude has to show him some respect. Also, he might not be able to get jobs if he didn't have a good impression.

"Wait here, man, while I go in to talk to Luigi". 8-Ball said, going inside the door first. He did, and after a while, a man in a blue suit came out first. He closed the door, surveyed the area, and then opened the door again, where a decently dressed man then came out. This man was Luigi Goterilli, the man 8-Ball talked about. The other guy in the blue suit was Mick, Luigi's bodyguard.

"8-Ball's got some business upstairs, so maybe you can do me a favor." Luigi said. At first, Luigi didn't trust him. He can't trust just about anyone who came to him for jobs. So, he tried testing him with a first job. "Maybe you could do me a favor. One of my girls need a ride, so grab a car, and pick up Misty from the clinic for me. Remember, nobody messes with my girls!" It was a warning for Claude not to mess with Misty. "If you do this, maybe there might be more work for you. Now get out of here!" Claude didn't appreciate Luigi's rudeness, but he needs a job, so he went out to the main road, and hopped back into his Kuruma. Then, he drove to Sweetney General Hospital, the only clinic in the Portland area. True enough, a red-haired girl in a green jacket, who Claude presumes is Misty, is waiting for someone. He drove up next to her, and quickly identified her as Misty. She hopped into his car, and introduced herself. Then Claude turned the car around and drove the car back to Luigi's club. Back there, Claude then dropped off Misty, and then received his pay from Luigi, a nice $1500. But that's still not enough: he needed more money.

Then, he saw a taxi driver being chased out of his taxi by some Mafia thugs. Claude didn't care much, so he just hopped in the taxi, and went on to work, being a "relief" taxi driver for the original driver.


	2. Meeting Joey

**Chapter 2: Meeting Joey**

After working as a taxi driver for a while, Claude then decided to visit Luigi for more work. Hopefully, he thought, Luigi would be more polite to him. He went to the back alley, and knocked at the back door. Mick came out, but no Luigi. Mick, who was holding a letter, saw Claude, and said, "Luigi said … uh … to give you this, so here … here, take it." Claude took the letter, slightly disgruntled that Luigi didn't show him respect again, but it's now time for some more dirty work.

Claude read Luigi's letter. It read, "There's a new high on the streets, goes by the name of SPANK. Some wise guy's been introducing this trash to my girls down Portland Harbor. Go and introduce a bat to his face! Then take his car, respray it. I WANT COMPENSATION FOR THIS INSULT!" Claude didn't think for a second, and went to fetch the bat Luigi left for him opposite the main road. After that, he hopped into his car, and drove to Portland Harbor. Sure enough, there was a man in grey coveralls meeting 2 of Luigi's girls. This was weird, considering that hookers aren't interested in this kind of people. This must be the SPANK dealer that Luigi wrote about in his letter. Claude picked up the bat, but put it away. He had something else in mind.

After the 2 ladies left, the drug dealer headed back to his car, but didn't make it. Claude revved up his car, and then charged straight at the drug dealer, who died instantly. Claude then went inside the drug dealer's Stallion parked nearby, and then took it to the nearest Pay and Spray shop at the Red Light District. The mechanics there were told about the Stallion coming in, and Luigi had already paid them, so they provided the services for the Stallion free of charge. After that, the mechanics directed Claude to Luigi's lockup, a dark alley near Sweetney General Hospital. Claude drove the car into the lockup, and left the place. There, the dirty deed's been done. Claude then jacked another unlucky fellow's car, and drove to "Sex Club Seven" to see Luigi for his pay and perhaps, more jobs.

Outside the back door, Luigi was talking to Mick about something, but told Mick to go back inside after seeing Claude coming to him. For the first time, Luigi showed respect to Claude. "How're ya doing kid?" Luigi greeted, pleased that Claude had taught the drug dealer a lesson. "The Don's son, Joey Leone, he wants some regular action from his regular girl Misty. Go pick her up at her apartment in Hepburn Heights, but watch your back: that's Diablo turf." The Diablos, by the way, are a small-time Mexican gang that hangs around Hepburn Heights in northern Portland. "Then drive her to his garage at Trenton. Joey ain't the kind to keep waiting. Remember, this is your foot on the door, so keep your eyes on the road, and off Misty." Claude then went back to his car, and drove to Hepburn Heights, a stone's throw from the Red Light District.

Near the address Luigi gave him, along with his pay, he then sounded the horn on his car. Sure enough, Misty was waiting for him. She then hopped into Claude's car. Claude then drove to Trenton. "You work regular for Luigi now, huh?" Misty asked after entering the car. "It's about time he got a driver we can trust." Claude wasted no time to drive Misty to Joey's Garage.

At Joey's Garage, Misty and Claude then went into the garage. Joey Leone, the owner and mechanic of this garage, was surprised to see them.

"JOEY!" Misty cried after seeing him. They then shared a little hug. "Am I going to play with your big end again?"

"I'll be with you in a minute, spark plug." Joey replied. Then he sent Misty away, and turned his attention to Claude. "Hey, I'm Joey. Luigi said you're reliable, so come back later. There might be some work for you, alright?" Claude nodded, and left the garage. He then went back into his car, and drove back to Luigi's to get his pay for driving Misty. However, as soon as he arrived at the back door, Luigi came out of the door, really pissed and excited. "Some Diablo scumbag has been pimping his girls in my backyard! Go and take care of things for me! If you need a piece, go around the back of Ammu-Nation opposite the subway!" Claude didn't hesitate, although he didn't get his pay. He quickly drove to Ammu-Nation to get some weapons. The bat alone isn't going to help out now!

At Ammu-Nation, Claude was very mad that everything was out of stock, but the owner did tell him some good news. "Luigi said you're coming, so I left you a 9mm at the back." Claude didn't waste time, and went to fetch the pistol the shopkeeper left for him. Excellent, he thought to himself after picking up the pistol. He wasted no time, and hopped back into his car to chase the Diablo pimp. Finally, he saw them! The pimp and his driver in a Diablo Stallion, a car with a real smooth paint job and cool engine. But now's not the time for admiring cars. Claude then chased them with the Patriot he stole earlier. The Patriot was a very strong car, and dented the Diablo Stallion into twisted metal in no time. The driver and the pimp exited the car, but Claude wasn't finished. The pimp then aimed his shotgun at the Patriot, but didn't get a chance to use it: Claude ran him down into the pavement. Then, Claude picked up the shotgun the pimp held, and chased after the driver, and shot him. Nobody could survive that, Claude thought. He then went back to Luigi's club to collect his pay, but once again, he was disappointed! Luigi had another job for him. "The policeman's ball will be held by the old school hall near Callahan Bridge, and they'll be looking for some 'old school' action." He said. "Now I've got girls all over the town walking the streets. Get them to the ball: they'll make a bundle. Get as many of them as you can before the cops drink away their green."

Claude, dissatisfied that he didn't get his pay, hopped back into his Patriot, and went to fetch the girls with the directions Luigi gave him. However, the Patriot, as strong as it is, is very slow, and he's wasted a lot of time by the time he got 3 girls at the ball. He saw the nearby Police cruiser, and quickly hopped in and continued his work. With the cruiser's speed and sirens, he could quickly get the girls to the ball in no time. After all 8 girls were at the ball, he then drove back to Luigi's 1 last time for the night. Luigi was pleased with Claude's work, and paid him his pay, along with a bonus, mainly the pay he forgot. After receiving his pay, Claude was really tired, so he headed back to his hideout for forty winks. I'll visit Joey first thing in the morning, Claude thought to himself.

Next day, Claude went to visit Joey. He had promised some work for him, and since Luigi's done with him, is out of a job. Claude then jacked the next car that came to him, and drove to Joey's Garage in Trenton. In there, Joey and Misty were there. Seems like Joey's been busy working on a nice buggy. Wonder how it'll turn out, Claude thought.

"Hey, I'm bored. When're you gonna drill me?" Misty asked, really itching for some more action.

"In a moment, sweetheart. I've got a little business to take care of", Joey said. Joey turned, and was glad to see Claude. "I've got a little job for you pal, the Forelli brothers have owed me money for too long, and they need to be taught some respect." The Forellis, by the way, are rivals for Joey's Leone Mafia. "Lips Forelli is stuffing his fat face in St. Mark's Bistro, so steal his car and take it to 8-Ball's bomb shop up in Harwood. You know 8-Ball, right?" 8-Ball only services for the Mafia and his friends. "Once he's fitted it with a bomb, go park the car where you found it, then sit back and watch the whole show." Claude was about to leave the garage when Joey then reminded him about Lips. "But hurry up, he won't be eating forever."

Claude wasted no time for this. He drove to St. Mark's Bistro, and found his target: a black Idaho parked at the "Reserved" slot. The Bistro is the Forellis' base of operations, and Lips must be here for some business. Claude then hopped into Lips' car, and took the car to Harwood. Luckily for him, the fat idiot didn't install a car alarm, so he was safe. He drove the car into the garage at 8-Ball's bomb shop, and very soon 8-Ball had armed the car with a bomb. Claude then had to drive carefully: Lips was a very observant person, and he'd know something's amiss to his car. Back at the Bistro, Claude then parked the car back at the "Reserved" slot, armed the bomb, and left the car. Then he went back into his car and hide. Just in time as well, as Lips was done eating, and he was coming down towards his car. He didn't see anything amiss to his car, and then hopped into his car. There, the bomb was triggered, and Lips and his black Idaho went up in smoke! Joey would be so pleased! But now Claude was hungry, so he went inside the bistro to get a bite. I'll see Joey for more work later, he thought.


	3. Cipriani's Chauffer

**Chapter 3: Cipriani's Chauffer**

Back from the Bistro and getting rid of Lips Forelli for Joey; Claude went back to Joey's Garage, hoping for more work. And hearing the words from the Forellis working at the bistro, Joey Leone is a major threat to them. Joey's interests include succeeding his dad as the new Don, getting rid of the Forellis once and for all and bank robberies. Claude then saw the dangerous side of Joey Leone. But since Joey's his boss, he cannot complain at all.

At the garage, Joey was busy working on a shiny Sentinel. As he came in, Joey had another assignment for him. "Chunky Lee Chong is pushing SPANK for some new gang from Columbia … or Colorado, I'm not really sure. Who needs details anyway?" Looks like a new gang is messing with Leone interests. And Joey wants Claude to help him take that fat idiot out. "He's got a noodle stand in Chinatown. That rat has served his last stir-fry. I want you to take him out. If you need a piece, go around the back of AmmuNation opposite the subway. Sort yourself with a nine, you know where it is, right? Well remember, watch your back in Chinatown; it's Triad territory."

Claude saw his gun he picked up from a gang war earlier, so he decided to save the money. He went to find Chunky, whose noodle stand is in a road inaccessible to vehicles. Claude then exited his vehicle, and looked around. To his surprise, Chunky knew that an attempt had been made on his life, and he had hired some Triad gangsters to protect him. Must have been the SPANK he's been selling. He went close to the stand, and immediately the Triads opened fire at him. Luckily for him, the Triads there were bad shots. Chunky then fled from his stand to his car, a Perennial parked nearby. Claude knew about this, so he hopped back into his car, and chased Chunky, who was driving at a very fast speed, for a Perennial. The chase went from Chinatown, past the Callahan Point, and towards Portland Harbor. There, Claude made 1 final push at Chunky's Perennial, and the Perennial lost control, sending Chunky to a watery grave. Success, Claude thought. He then headed to Joey's for more work and to collect his pay.

Back there, Joey paid Claude the money for killing Chunky and Lips, and fed him info on his next mission, a dangerous one to date. Joey plans to hit a money-laden truck that's on the way to the Liberty City Bank. "Alright, we're gonna hit the payroll van. It leaves the edge of Chinatown everyday. Bullets won't even dent the van's armor, so get a car and ram it off the road. Now hit it hard, and the stupid security guards should bail. Then take it to the warehouse at the docks and my guys are gonna take over from there. Now it won't be doing rounds all day, so don't hang around."

Claude went out to get his Patriot, and headed to Chinatown. And there it was, the Securicar that Joey was talking about. Claude then revved up his Patriot, and rammed the Securicar. The old security guard driving the car was caught by surprise, but the car was no match for the Patriot in terms of speed. Claude, however, didn't count on one thing: the cops! After the bank heist on Staunton Island, the one where Claude was betrayed and left for dead, the cops have been paying more attention for Securicars being moved. As Claude keeps ramming the target van, the cops' patience wore thin. Before long, the security guard fled from his vehicle and ran away, leaving the door open. Claude hopped in, and quickly headed to Portland Harbor, with the cops hot on his heels. The cops tried firing bullets at the stolen Securicar, but like what Joey said, bullets can't dent the van's armor. Then they tried ramming the car, but that won't even stop Claude from driving like a lunatic. By the time the van reached Portland Harbor, the cops had given up and left the van alone. Claude then happily drove the car into the garage Joey told him about and let the safecrackers in the garage do their dirty work. After all that was done, Claude was awarded his share for the daring deed, a whopping $20000. Claude then jacked the nearest car available, and headed for Joey's garage. Joey had another job for him.

When Claude came, Joey was talking to another man dressed in purple. It turns out that the shiny Sentinel belongs to him. And Joey had just finished repairs, and told the man to pick it up.

"Yeah Toni, I tuned her real sweet. She purrs you know what I mean?" Joey said, very proud of his work. Then, Joey notices Claude, the man he was talking about to this Toni guy. Joey then introduces him to Toni Cipriani, the man in purple and the owner of the shiny Sentinel.

"Oh. Here's the guy I was telling you about. Alright listen, this guy ain't Italian and he's no mechanic, but he can get things fixed. This is Pops Capo, Toni Cipriani.

"Yeah, I'm Toni Cipriani." The man introduces himself to Claude.

"Take him to Momma's restaurant in Saint Mark's alright?" That's it? Claude thought. But Joey wasn't done. "Now listen to me, I'm planning a job that requires a good driver, so drop by sometime later, OK?" After that, Claude hopped into the shiny Sentinel, followed by Toni. As they leave the garage, Toni wants Claude to make a detour before bringing him home. "OK, kid. Drive me to the laundry in Chinatown. I've got a bit of business to take care of. Those washerwomen haven't been paying their protection money. And watch the car, Joey just fixed this junk heap, so no fancy crap, OK?" Claude didn't care about Toni's job, as long as he can get some money for doing some of his jobs. And Chinatown is very close to Trenton, where they are right now, so why not? Claude then took Toni to his destination, Wong's Launderette.

"Wait here. Keep the engine running. This ain't a social call." Toni instructed Claude, took a baseball bat and entered the launderette. Inside were 2 Triad goons, talking in a very funny accent. Toni came in, and for a while, it was calm. However, things changed when the 2 Triads started shooting at Toni! He quickly jumped back into the waiting Sentinel, and yelled, "It's a Triad ambush! Get us out of here kid!" Claude then took off, but not without knocking down the 2 shooters first. The car managed to avoid the other Triad gangsters, and then headed to Cipriani's place, a Momma's restaurant in Saint Mark's.

"The Triads think they can mess with me. The Triads, WITH ME!" Toni was laughing at the thought of the Triads messing with the Leone Mafia. And turning to Claude, he said, "Drop by later, and we'll give them something to launder, their own blood-stained clothes!" With that, Toni paid Claude his money for driving him home, and exited the vehicle. Claude then took the Mafia car back to Joey's garage. Joey had paged him earlier for another job regarding some matters with the Forellis. As Claude entered, he saw Joey still working on the buggy. Must have been a bad accident, Claude thought to himself. But now's not the time for jokes, as Joey has another job to do.

"Beautiful! Just Beautiful!" Joey then fills Claude in with his next assignment. "Alright, just the guy I need to talk to! Alright, there's a car stuffed with a stiff at the café near Callahan Point. Take it to the crusher in Harwood, alright?" A simple job, Claude thought to himself. So, he took the Sentinel he "borrowed" from Toni and drove to the café. And there it was, a Manana parked at one of the lots. Claude then opened the trunk, and then wished he hadn't! Inside was a rotting body! It was no wonder why Joey wanted it disposed! Claude got in, and fell into a trap set up by the Forelli brothers! Both brothers, in Sentinels, started pursuing Claude. Unfortunately for him, the Forellis' car was faster, and they caught up with him in no time! Finally, Claude had enough. Somewhere before the road leading to the crusher, he got off the car, and went forward to 1 of the Sentinels. And there, he yanked out the driver, and using the baseball bat he collected, attacked the loony motorist! The other guy can only look in horror as his brother gets beaten up by Claude Speed. After that, Claude looked at the other driver, who was getting ready to knock him down, and aimed his gun. The guy froze, but he didn't stop revving up his engine. Bad move, as Claude then fired a bullet. It didn't hit him, but being a coward; the Forelli inside the car got out of his car, and ran. Claude then gave chase, angry that the Forellis are messing with his job! He caught up with the coward, and knocked him down on the floor. The Forelli, although not hurt, was begging for mercy!

"Please don't hurt me! Please! Just take Giorgio and leave me alone!" he stammered. Claude smiled at him for a while, and then raised his bat, and knocked him out cold. Then, he picked up the 2 Forelli bodies, and stuffed them in with their dead stiff, and drove to the crusher. There, he exited the car, and watched as the crane lifted up the 3 Forellis stuffed in the trunk, and turns them into a metal block. There, he received his pay from the foreman working at the crusher, and Joey's associate. He was wondering why Claude was smiling after the car was crushed, but Claude just happily took his cash, and headed to Cipriani's place. Joey's final job wasn't ready yet.

GTA fans may remember Giorgio Forelli as the person that Tommy Vercetti had to set free in the "Jury Fury" mission in GTA: Vice City. As for Joey's final job, I'm saving this for later.


	4. Meeting Salvatore

**Chapter 4: Meeting Salvatore**

Claude arrived at Momma's Restaurant, and was greeted by the one and only Toni Ciprani. Toni was glad to see Claude, and offered him a seat. "Take a seat, kid. Take a god damn seat!" Well, that was polite, Claude thought to himself. Toni was not at all the happiest person in Liberty City, but like Joey said, he can get things "fixed". "So the laundry won't pay any protection, huh? The Triads think they can mess with me!" Toni's voice began to get louder and louder. "Let's teach these would-be tough guys what it means to be a tough guy!" Toni then slams his fist onto the table, much to the annoyance. Claude didn't understand what did Momma Ciprani said, but it was sure funny to know that Toni had a weakness: his mother! "Sorry Ma." He paused for a while. "Yes Ma." He replied back to his mother, and turned to Claude, and said, "I want you to take out their laundry vans, and mangle any Triad gimp that gets in your way. 8-Ball can supply you with what you need." Claude then left the restaurant, and jacked a nearby Kuruma, and followed the directions Toni gave to find the 3 Laundry vans. Forget 8-Ball, he thought to himself, I can do this alone!

There, he saw it. A white and shiny van with a "Wong's Launderette" label on it. This must be 1 of the 3 vans Toni said. Claude wasted no time, and quickly ejected the van driver out of the car and quickly drove the van to the crushed. Toni did say to destroy the vans, but he didn't say how to do it. It's also a good time to earn some money. He took the van to the crusher in Harwood, and left it there while he "borrowed" a parked Pony nearby to find the 2nd laundry van. The 2nd laundry van was easy to find: it was parked outside Saint Mark's Bistro. Claude then followed the deed he did to Lips Forelli: arm the car with a bomb, and sit back and watch the action. It was done, and Claude got himself some good entertainment after the van, along with its driver, blew up. Claude then went to find the final van. It was located near Callahan Point. Claude jacked the van, and drove it to Portland Harbor, and left the van near the edge of the water. Then, he grabbed some wheels and pushed the final laundry van into the water. Toni would be so pleased, he thought to himself. He then drove back to see Toni for his payment.

At Toni's, there was a note, with an envelope, most likely Claude's pay, but no sign of Toni. His mother then remarked, "Toni's off making people bleed, or trying to. He'll never be as strong as his Pop, but he left you a note on the table." Claude then picked up the note. It read, "The laundry has agreed to pay – you did real good, kid. Go and collect the cash and bring it back here. Watch out for the Triads. They may be shoving a firecracker up your ass, but don't take no crap. Nobody I mean nobody messes with TONI CIPRANI!" Whoa, Toni's real serious about this, Claude thought to himself. But a job's a job, so he went behind Wong's Launderette to collect a suitcase full of payment. But before that, he'd suspected that the Triads would set up a trap, so he went to buy some Uzi ammo for the gun he picked up earlier. Then, he went to get the payment.

As he suspected, Wong clearly had asked the Triads for protection against the Mafia! 7 goons came closer to Claude. Some held guns, but most had baseball bats. Claude knew that this job was too easy, so he picked up his Uzi and started shooting at the Triads. He then went to drag their driver out of his van, and beat him up with a baseball bat. He then jumped into the beaten Triad's van, and drove it to Toni's place, and found another note, and again, no Toni. This time, the note read: "Don Salvatore has called a meeting. I need you to collect the limo and his boy, Joey, from the garage. Then get Luigi from his club, come back here and pick me up. Then we'll all drive over to the boss' place together. Those Triads, they don't know when to stop. They want a war, they got a war. Now get going." Claude placed the briefcase down, and got back into his van, and drove to Joey's Garage in Trenton to pick up the limo.

At the garage, Joey gladly gave Claude the keys to his dad's limo, a shiny, black Stretch, while he changed into his formal clothes. Claude had never driven a limo before, so this could prove a challenge. Joey then got into 1 of the back seats, and then they were on the road. Along the way, Joey explained that he'll call Claude when the job is ready. He hadn't finished planning it yet. Claude decided to skip Chinatown to pick Luigi. They drove over the Red Light District, and reached Sex Club 7, Luigi's club. Joey then directed Claude to sound the horn; it's their tradition to let friends know they're here. Claude did that, and Luigi then exited his club, greeted Claude, hopped into the limo, and sat beside Joey. Now to pick up Toni. Claude then drove over to Momma's Restaurant, and sounded the horn. Toni was there alright! He then hopped into the car, in the seat next to Claude. Here's when Toni gave Claude his money for the previous job of collecting the payment. However, the Triads are angry about this, and they'd been waiting for Toni to come out so they could get him! Claude wasted no time! He revved up the engine, and quickly got out of the way, where about 5 to 6 Triad vans collided with each other. The limo then drove on towards Portland Beach, where Salvatore's mansion is located. The Triads have set up a roadblock, but the limo cut through them like a hot knife through butter. At Salvatore's mansion, the garage door opened, and Toni instructed Claude to drive in it. This was done.

After a while, all 4 of them then went upstairs to see Salvatore. Toni, who was with Claude, was very pleased with Claude's good handling of the limo. "You did good back there, kid. Real good. Come on; let's introduce you to the Don." Salvatore was already out there, greeting Luigi and Joey.

"Hey Luigi!" he greeted. It appears that they haven't met for a long time.

"Oh my girls have been missing you so long, Salvatore." Luigi replied, while hugging Salvatore. "You've been away too long."

"You tell them, when this unfortunate business has been taken care of, we'll go down to the club to celebrate." Luigi then went inside. Salvatore then focused his attention to his son. "There's my boy!"

"Hi, Pop." Joey greeted.

"Have you got yourself a good woman yet? You know your Momma, God bless her soul, would be turning over in her grave to see you without a wife." Salvatore remarked.

"I know Pop. I'm working on it." Joey replied, a little embarrassed.

"TONI!" Salvatore greeted Toni. "How's your Momma? She's a good woman, you know. Strong, firenze …"

"She's good. Fine," Toni replied back.

"Terrific! Terrific! Now listen you guys, you go inside while I talk to your new friend here." Toni and Joey then followed Luigi inside the mansion. Salvatore had heard about Claude from the other bosses, and he was pleased to see Claude. "I see nothing but good things for you my boy …" Salvatore and Claude then went into the living room together.

Inside, Salvatore had a little job for Claude to do. He wants to test out Claude for some of the more challenging tasks ahead. "Me and the fellas need to talk business, so you're gonna look after my girl for the evening." Then he turned around and yelled, "HEY MARIA! Move your butt!" Maria was a girl Salvatore met back in Las Venturas, a city near the West Coast area. Maria and Salvatore had been in a relationship for almost 10 years, almost as how long Claude's lasted. "Dumb broad does this every time." Salvatore tells Claude. A female person in her early 30s' then enters the living room. Claude thought that this might be Maria. Salvatore then introduces his girlfriend to Claude. "And there she is, the one and only Queen of Sheba!" Then, things got a little personal. "What were you doing up there? Whatever it was, I'll bet it cost me money!"

Maria then argued back. "Well, you don't think I hang around for the conversation, do you."

Salvatore then had enough. "Get in the car, and keep your big mouth shut! Take the limo but bring it back in one piece, you hear me!" And then he turned to Claude, and said, "And watch her. She can be trouble."

Maria was a bit attracted to this new handsome guy that Salvatore was talking to, but didn't know how to address him. And he was more attractive and the rich but old Salvatore. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm sure your new lap dog has everything covered, and isn't he big and strong?" Maria mocked Salvatore about his age, and then turned to Claude. "Hey Fido, let's go visit Chico and get some party streets. He's at the rail station in Chinatown, I think." The name's Claude, he thought to himself. But because he can't speak, "Fido" became his new nickname. The both of them then got into the limo and drove off to Maria's destination, the El-Train station in Chinatown. They arrive to see a Latino person standing nearby. Guess he knew Maria was coming. Claude then stopped the car to allow Maria to alight. Although he couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but he knew that it can't be good.

"Hey Maria! It's my favorite lady! You're looking for some fun? A little … hmmm … some SPANK?" Chico introduced himself and his wares for sale.

"Hi Chico. Nah, just the usual." Maria answered.

"Here you go, lady," Chico gleefully handed the goods to Maria. "Say, maybe you should check out the warehouse party at the east end of Atlantic Quays."

"Thanks, Chico! See you around."

"Gracias, and enjoy! That's good stuff!" Maria then waved goodbye to Chico, and hopped back into the limo. There, she gave him new instructions. "Come on Fido, let's go and check out this party." Claude didn't go there straight away. He aimed his Uzi, and shot Chico. He hated drug dealers, and Chico was annoying anyway! He then drove on to Atlantic Quays, where sure enough, there was a Mafia-ran party. Claude then parked the limo carefully. There, Maria instructed Claude to keep the car running. "Alright Fido, you wait here and look after the car while I go and shake my butt alright?" Claude nodded, and Maria then went into the warehouse. While waiting, Claude pulled out a book from his jacket, and looked inside. It was the trip he made to San Andreas a few years ago. There, he and Catalina made love. Catalina, for your information, was the woman who shot him back in the beginning of the story. They met in San Andreas, and they had lots of fun hitting stores while evading the cops. Ah, good times, he thought to himself. He had hoped to get out of girl trouble after Catalina's betrayal, but it wasn't made to last. The police scanner in Salvatore's limo soon delivered a disturbing message. "Four-five to all units! Assist narcotics raid near Atlantic Quays." A Police Enforcer soon drove up near the warehouse. A second one drove up later, and both vehicles unloaded SWAT members. "It's a raid!" One of the Mafia guards yelled out, and soon some of the party members and Mafia thugs joined in the shooting against the police. Maria quickly jumped inside the limo, and said, "OK Fido. Let's get out of here! WOAH!" Claude quickly put away his book, and quickly drove back to Salvatore's mansion. However, 2 Police cruisers decided to make things tough for Claude. Despite this minor setback, Claude pressed on, and entered the garage near the mansion. This cannot be happening to me, Claude thought to himself.

After all that hassle, Claude and Maria then walked up the stairs from the garage together. Maria was very pleased with Claude for looking after her so well. "You know, I really enjoyed myself for the first time in a long while, and you treated me real good, with respect and everything." Then, she looks at her watch, and then tells Claude. "Oh, I'd better go. I'll see you around, I hope." She then enters Salvatore's mansion. Salvatore was real pleased, and gave Claude his pay for looking after his girlfriend. Just then, Joey paged. He told Claude that all the planning was ready, and he needs his help. Claude then grabbed a Mafia Sentinel near the garage, and drove to Trenton. Salvatore was very kind to lend Claude some of his cars.

Note: I've included a little Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas inside. If you remember, Claude appeared once in the "Farewell, My Love …" mission, while Salvatore and Maria appeared in Las Venturas, where you're doing jobs for the Mafia. I added those in to connect the stories together. Hope you'll like them!


	5. Blow Fish

**Chapter 5: Blow Fish**

After arriving at Trenton, Joey had just finished fixing the buggy he'd been working on ever since Claude first met him. "Beautiful. Just beautiful!" He told himself. Claude went inside, and Joey was ready for a final job for him. "Alright listen." Joey started. "Get some wheels to the safehouse at Saint Mark's and pick up a few friends of mine. They're hittin' a bank and they need a driver. I gave you the word that you're the man, so don't screw this up. Get them to the bank before five o' clock, not a minute later."

Claude left the garage, only to find the Mafia Sentinel Salvatore "loaned" him gone. Someone must have stolen it while he was busy with Joey. Luckily for him, some careless taxi driver left his parked Taxi unattended. Claude, inspired from a bank heist back in 1986 that involved a taxi, quickly hopped inside the yellow vehicle, and quickly drove to the safehouse at Saint Mark's. He then sounded the horn, and the garage door opened, and followed by 3 Mafia men, all fully armed, who hopped in the taxi.

"You must be the driver Joey told us about!" one of the men said. "Get us to the bank at the Red Light District." Claude drove towards the Red Light District, while the 3 Mafia men squabble among themselves. Claude could not talk, so he can't shut them up. Funny things like one of them is occupying too much space, then the thug sitting next to Claude started waving his AK-47 around, without hitting Claude. They soon arrived at the bank near the subway at the Red Light District.

"Keep the engine running. We'll be in and out in no time." One of them instructed. The 3 men got off the taxi, and went inside. Everything was going smoothly, while Claude hummed a little tune to himself. Gunshots were heard from inside the bank, and before long, the alarm started wailing. That can't be good, Claude thought to himself. Sure enough, the 3 men, each carrying 2 gunnysacks each, quickly jumped inside the taxi, and one of them yelled, "Get us out of here!" The 4 of them sped off amid the police chopper hovering above them, with 4 police cruisers hot on their trail. The Mafia men wasted no time to arm their Uzis and AK-47s, and shot their pursuers. It was an exciting car chase. To shake off the police, they had to go one whole round around Portland Island, but by the time they arrived back at the safehouse, they had shaken off the cops. The Mafia men paid Claude his share for the job, a hefty $30000. Then, they quickly went inside their hideout to share the money among themselves. Claude then drove off to see Toni. During the chase, Toni had paged earlier. He had some important tasks to do.

At Momma's Restaurant, again Toni wasn't present. Toni's mom made some remarks about Claude. "Oh it's you. Toni ain't here. But he left one of his sugary love letters for you." Claude wasn't amused by that remark, but Toni's letter did have something important. It read, "We're at war. The Triads have a fish factory as a front. Most of their business goes down at the fish market in Chinatown. The laundry still owes us protection. They reckon the Triads are protecting them now, so I say we exact a fitting punishment. Take these boys over and whack the Triad Warlords! Hell, if you got a chance, pop some of their soldiers too!" Two Mafia men showed up, awaiting instructions from Claude. Claude then went inside his taxi he drove back at the bank job, and the 2 men followed suit. They drove to Chinatown, but the gang war between the Mafia and the Triads made it tough to move. The two men then instructed Claude to stop at the roadside market; one of the Triad Warlords is based there. They exited the taxi, and went to get them. There were a lot of skirmishes going on, with Triad thugs in blue shooting their pistols at the Mafia, dressed in suits. The paramedics were kept busy all day long, reviving fallen Triads or Mafia thugs. Claude and his 2 associates then wend to find the Warlord. He was there, with 2 more Triad thugs armed with Uzis. But Claude got them first, and quickly picked up their ammo, and went back into the taxi. The 2 other associates followed suit. The 2nd target is located near a warehouse near the El-Train station in Chinatown. Again, the ongoing skirmishes were everywhere. The 2nd Warlord had been waiting for them, and he was foolish enough to let Claude run him down with his 2 bodyguards. The final Warlord is back at the Fish Factory at Callahan Point, and only Triad vans are allowed inside. Some Triads were guarding the vehicle, and they quickly shot the 2 Mafia men following Claude around. Claude avenged them by gunning all 4 of them down, and then jumped inside the van, and drove towards Callahan Point. He turned into a slip road leading to the factory, and the gatekeepers were stupid enough to let him in. They didn't live to regret it, as Claude ran down each and everyone of them. The last Warlord was located behind the factory, but he could not be rammed; he's on high ground. Claude got off the van, and went after the Warlord. Quickly, Claude used his Uzi to turn the Warlord and his bodyguards into minced meat. Then, he grabbed another Triad van, and drove back to Toni's. He ain't finished with them yet.

Back at Toni's, Toni had one final assignment for Claude, and since they first met, this was the only time Toni was present. Toni was fed up with the Triads, and he plans to run them out of business once and for all. "OK, I've had enough of this!" He exclaimed to Claude when he entered. "We're gonna finish the Triads in Liberty once and for all! 8-Ball's rigged a dustcart with a bomb. It's on a timer, so if you mess up, there'll be no evidence. Careful! 8-Ball says it's highly sensitive, and the slightest bump could set that thing off. Their fish factory opens its gates for a dustcart, so you can drive right in. Park up between the gas canisters and get the hell out of here! I want it to rain mackerel. We're talking real biblical here, nothing low budget.

Claude then drove his van towards Harwood, and sure enough, there was a dustcart waiting. Claude hopped in, and found out that he had only a few minutes to get to the factory before the dustcart blows. Carefully, he drove the dustcart out, and headed to the fish factory in Callahan Point. It was a race against time, because the dustcart is very sluggish, and the bomb armed onboard only helped slowing it down. Some reckless drivers also want to contend with Claude, but Claude paid no attention to them. He drove on towards Callahan Point, and drove towards the Triad fish factory. And just like Toni said, the gates opened for him. He drove towards the gas canisters behind the fish factory, armed the bomb onboard, and quickly ducked for cover. Some Triad goons spotted him, but they had no time for any reaction.

BOOM! The bomb triggered the gas canisters to explode, bringing the fish factory along with it. Triads within a 500m radius were killed in the blast. Some Triad vehicles were also taken out in the blast. Plastic fish from the factory also rained down towards the ground. The mission was successful. Claude then took one of the undamaged Triad vans, and quickly got out of the factory, lest more Triad goons show up to get him. While driving, Toni paged. The message said that the payment for blowing the fish factory was delivered to his account, and he should watch his back in Chinatown, because the Triads have marked him as a target. Claude abandoned the van, and took a taxi to Salvatore's mansion to get more work. Salvatore was pleased to see him, after a splendid job he did before. Salvatore had bigger jobs for him to undertake.

"Leave us alone for a minute." Salvatore instructed his servants after Claude showed up, and took his seat. Salvatore had some issues to deal with a Latino gang. "The Colombian Cartel is making SPANK somewhere in Liberty, but we don't know where. And they seem to know everything we're doing before we do." Salvatore briefed Claude. "We got us a rat! There's a guy named Curly Bob, who works the bar at Luigi's. He's been throwing more money around than he's earning. He ain't pimping or pushing, so he must be talking. He usually takes a taxi home after work, so follow him. And if he's ratting us out, KILL HIM!"

Claude then went outside the mansion, and hailed a Cabbie, but instead of getting in, he yanked the driver out, and got into the driver seat himself. He then drove on to Luigi's Club, and there was a taxi waiting outside, probably for Curly Bob. He waited nearby for Curly to show up. Soon, Curly Bob came out, and Claude quickly intercepted the "fare". Curly instructed Claude to go to Portland Harbor, not realizing that the "taxi driver" would eventually be his killer. Claude was also suspicious of Curly's destination. Why would he go to Portland Harbor if he's going home? The plot thickens.

At the docks near the "Les Cargo" ship, Curly instructed Claude to stop, and let him alight. He paid him the fare, and went outside. Claude kept a close watch on him, and he saw it. Curly was meeting the woman who betrayed him, Catalina. And she had a new partner-in-crime, a senior Cartel member named Miguel. Seems like Curly had a mutual deal with the Cartel: they would sell him SPANK if he agreed to sell out Mafia secrets, and it was a deal that Curly would live to regret.

"Here comes our little friend, Mr. Big Mouth himself." Miguel said after seeing Curly coming.

"Were you followed?" Catalina asked. "You know what goes on around here is our little secret."

"No … no, I wasn't followed." Curly began. He speaks with a few sniffs in his speech. Perfect for a rat. "You got my stuff?"

"Here's your SPANK, squealer." Catalina hands Curly his order of SPANK. "Now talk."

"OK, so the Leones' are fighting a war on two fronts." Curly spilt the beans to the two criminals. "They're in a turf war with the Triads, with no sign of either side giving up. Meanwhile, Joey Leone has stirred up some bad blood with the Forellis. Everyday they're losing men and influence in the city. Salvatore's becoming dangerous and paranoid. He suspects everybody and everything."

"With loyalty like yours, what has he possibly got to worry about?" Catalina and Miguel then left Curly. Curly looked around, and slowly walks away from the meeting spot. Now Claude has a reason to kill him. He revved up his engine, and charged towards Curly. Curly armed his shotgun, but he was too late. Before he could fire even 1 shot, Claude turned him into "fender ketchup". Then, he drove back to Salvatore's to tell him what had happened. Salvatore was pleased with Claude's work. He handed him some money, then gave him further instructions on dealing with the SPANK threat on Mafia interests.

"We should take these Colombian idiots out, but while we're at war with the Triads, we ain't strong enough." Salvatore said to Claude while handing him his check for killing the rat. "The Cartel had bottomless funds from pushing that SPANK crap. If we make an open attack on them, they'll wipe the floor with us. They must be making SPANK that Curly led you to. So we gotta use our heads. Or rather one head, your head. I'm asking you to destroy that SPANK factory as a personal favor to me, Salvatore Leone." He paused, and then instructed, "Go and see 8-Ball. You'll need his expertise to blow up that boat." Claude didn't like the idea of blowing up another factory, especially after what Toni caused him for blowing up the Triad factory, but he was glad that he and 8-Ball could work together again for one more job, so he drove to Harwood to see 8-Ball.

At Harwood, Claude knocked on the door near the bomb garage. This was 8-Ball's house. 8-Ball was there alright, but he needed Claude to do him a little favor. "Yo, my man!" 8-Ball was equally excited to see Claude again. "Salvatore phoned ahead, but a job like this is gonna need a lot of fireworks. I'll need $100,000 to cover expenses, but you know with me, you get a lot of bang with your buck. Come back, brother, when you have the money." 8-Ball then closed the door. Claude checked his wallet, and noticed he didn't have the money. He needed to find more money for this job. He then remembered two things. Firstly, someone calling himself El Burro had paged him back when he was hitting the payroll van for Joey. He's heard about him and wants to know him better. To find him, Claude has to answer the payphone at Hepburn Heights. Secondly, a payphone near Joey's Garage had been ringing all day. Maybe someone at the other end had jobs for him. Claude was tired, so he decided to follow the 2nd lead first thing in the morning. He drove back to his hideout, and went to sleep.


	6. Chonks' Jobs

**Chapter 6: Chonks' Jobs**

Claude needed the money to blow up the "Les Cargo", the ship rumored to be the Cartel's SPANK factory. But 8-Ball needed $100,000 in cash to do the job, and Claude didn't have enough. He needed more, and a life of robbery isn't going to help. He headed to Trenton, and the payphone near Joey's garage is still ringing. He answered it. It was Marty Chonks, the owner of the dog food factory where the payphone was located.

"The name's Chonks, Marty Chonks. I run the Bhin' Dog Food around the corner. I got money troubles, but hey, who doesn't right?" Claude knows money troubles. "I'm meeting my bank manager later. He's a crooked bd that keeps bumping up the loan payments so he can cut a slice. Take my car, pick him up, and bring him back here. I've got a surprise for that blood sucking leech."

Claude hung up the phone, and went inside to get Marty's car, a shiny yellow Perennial. He got in, and headed to the bank in Chinatown. Despite a few skirmishes with the Triads, who ain't happy about their blown business, he still survived, and the car only suffered a few scratches. Claude found the bank manager, a kindly British gentleman. It's hard to believe that this person was a leech that Marty said. "Ah, Mr. Chonks sent you, didn't he?" He said after getting in the car. "Let's go and pay the fellow a visit."

Claude drove the Perennial to the dog food factory, and stopped near the main door. The bank manager alighted, and went inside. Marty did surprise him alright. Although nothing was seen, the manager yelled, "Get your hands off me!" Those were his last words. He was then killed by Marty, although the means were unknown. But the job wasn't over. Marty then shoved the manager's lifeless body into the Perennial, and instructed him t take it to the crusher in Harwood. Claude sighed, and drove the Perennial to Harwood Junkyard, the same place the Forelli brothers and their associate met their demise. There, he got off the vehicle, and the crane did the rest. He went and "borrowed" the nearby Pony and drove off to find Marty. The meager $1000 he paid him to take the car to the crusher still wasn't enough. He drove to the payphone, which was still ringing, and answered it.

"I hired some thieves to break into my apartment … and steal some stuff so I could claim the insurance as you do." Marty spoke on the phone. "The thieving bds are threatening to tell the insurance company, if I don't give them a cut, can you believe it? I've left a car inside the factory gates. Use it to go and pick them up from their turf at the Red Light District. Then bring them back here so I can make them see Marty's point of view." Man, this guy's a freak, Claude thought to himself. But a job's a job, so he went inside the factory to see what Marty's car is this time. It was a shiny blue Sentinel. He jumped in, and went to the thieves' hangout in the Red Light District, a bright-red painted café. He saw the 2 men, presumably the thieves that Marty hired to break into his apartment. He pulled over next to them, and let them in. The thieves said nothing, but Claude knew what to do: bring them back to the factory so Marty can get his hands on them.

Once again, Claude drove to the factory, and the thieves alighted, and went inside the factory. Soon, one of the thieves spoke after seeing his partner being thrashed. "Easy there, partner." But it was too late, the 2 thieves were killed. Marty then paid Claude $3000 to get the Sentinel resprayed. Claude muttered to himself, mainly because he didn't like working with the paranoid Marty Chonks, and drove the car to the only Pay 'n' Spray in Portland, in the Red Light District. There, he paid the mechanics to get the car resprayed. It was done, and then Chonks paged. He told Claude to bring the Sentinel back to the garage. Claude did as he told, and could finally be over with this business. However, things weren't smoothly going as always. The payphone rang again. Claude sighed, and answered the phone again. He prayed that the next job won't involve killing another innocent person. His prayers weren't answered.

"The business is going to go under unless I get hold of some serious cash soon." He said on the phone. "My wife has an insurance policy and all she's been ever to me is a hole in my pocket. Go and pick up my wife from Classic Nails and bring her back to the factory." Claude furiously hung up the phone, and went inside to get the car, this time it's an Esperanto. He jumped in, and drove to a shop called "Classic Nails" in the Red Light District. Marty's wife works there, and he had arranged to meet her at the factory. Claude pulled over to let the wife into the car. "Marty wants to see me?" She asked Claude. He just nodded his head. "Well, it had better be quick because I have to get my hair done." Now Claude understands how she's been a burden to Marty; she only cares for her personal interests.

Claude then drove the Esperanto to Trenton, and entered the Dog Food Factory. There, Mrs. Chonks exited the car, and went inside. Marty then did his dirty deed. "Hey … stop!" Mrs. Chonks yelled, but Marty went ahead and murdered her. Then, he stuffs the dead body into the trunk of the Esperanto, and paid Claude $2000 to dump the car into the sea. Claude took the car to Portland Harbor, and parked the car near the "Les Cargo". Luckily, there were no signs of the Cartel nearby. Claude jumped inside a nearby Yankee truck nearby, and gently pushed the Esperanto into the water. The doomed car fell headfirst into the water, and sunk to the bottom of the sea. Success, Claude thought to himself. He then drove back to Trenton to find out if Marty had more jobs for him. Unfortunately for Claude, Marty does indeed have another job for him.

"Damn, I'm in trouble." Marty said to Claude, who he felt that had been very reliable. "Turns out my wife was seeing some guy I owe money to. He's got real angry and he wants payback! I've agreed to see him … he thinks I'm gonna pay him off … but my guess is … Liberty's dogs are gonna get yet another flavor this month." Claude was getting worried working for Marty. Heaven knows when he's going to be next on Marty's hit list. Nonetheless, he picked the Stallion waiting for him inside the factory, and drove to find this person that Marty had agreed to meet. He pulled up to the nearby apartment at Chinatown, and there was a man waiting for a pick up. The man went inside, and introduced himself as Carl. "Marty sent you, huh?" he said. "OK, I'm gonna show that creep the meaning of business." Claude then drove the car to the factory, and Marty, for a change, was standing at the factory compound. Obviously he's got something planned for Carl. Carl got off, and they met.

"Carl, hi." Marty greeted. "I err need more time to get your money, but if you'll just step into my office … "

"It's far too late for that, Marty." Carl snapped. "You had your chance, but now I'm taking over the business … LOSER!" Carl aimed a shotgun at Marty, and shot him. Marty lays flat on the compound. He's dead. Carl then hands Claude $4000 for a job well done, and went inside the factory. However, Claude had something in mind. He decided to end this whole dog food business once and for all. Welding a baseball bat, he struck Carl from the back when he wasn't looking, and beat him up. He then took the shotgun from Carl, along with all the money he had, but it still wasn't enough. Claude then decided to go see El Burro.


	7. El Burro

**Chapter 7: El Burro**

Claude drove his newly acquired Patriot, and drove to Misty's apartment in Hepburn Heights. The payphone there is El Burro's contact point. Claude had heard a lot about El Burro: he's an actor turned gang leader. His excellent charisma skills mean that he could hire many men and purchase and modify his own gang car. El Burro is not known to backstab his workers, so he was safe, for the time being.

Claude picked up the phone, and El Burro greeted him. "This is El Burro of the Diablos." He said. "You're new in Liberty, but you're gaining a reputation on the streets. There's a street race by the old school hall near Callahan Bridge. Get yourself some wheels and first through all the checkpoints wins the price." Seems like El Burro has challenged Claude to a street race. Claude loves street races, with his personal favorite being the one he raced some black dude from the West Coast with Catalina, back in those times when she didn't betray him yet. But the Patriot he drove here wasn't the perfect vehicle to race. He was in luck. Some careless Diablo gangster left his custom Stallion parked without switching on the car alarm. Claude took the chance to get into the car, and drove off to the Callahan Bridge.

At the starting, 3 other racers were already waiting for their mystery partner. One of them spoke to Claude. "So, you're the new guy around here." He said with a Mexican accent. "Let's see what you got. Race around Portland Island and the winner takes the prize money." Another Diablo started the countdown, and they were off! Claude started off in the last place, but he didn't mind. Seems like the other Diablo racers were relentless about winning. They kept ramming each other, hoping to turn their opponents' cars into twisted metal. Claude kept his speed, but raced fast to try and catch up with them. They drove by Trenton, but Claude still couldn't take the lead. The race took them to Saint Mark's and the racers were still trying to eliminate the competition, but one of them was successful. A Diablo racer got his Stallion wrecked so badly, he had to abandon it before it blows. Claude saw the chance, and overtook him. The race then headed towards Hepburn Heights, and another racer got eliminated. It was down to 2 racers, Claude and another Diablo. Turns out that the opposing driver was the one who spoke to Claude earlier, and he was determined to win the prize. Both racers were very close to edging each other out, but it wasn't until they reach the finish line at the Callahan Bridge that Claude finally managed to edge his opponent by a nose, and claim the prize, $10,000! The other racer said nothing, and then went up and congratulated Claude on a good race. He also instructed Claude to visit the payphone if he had the time. El Burro had been informed of his victory, and he feels that Claude is the man to take care of some business for him. Claude said nothing, and shook hands with the other racer, and drove to Hepburn Heights. Sure enough, El Burro was waiting for him with another job.

"I started my exotic entertainment business with nothing but the sizable contents of my leather pants. A gang of no-goods have threatened to remove my starring member if I don't pay them a cut." El Burro complained to Claude. "They threatened the wrong man, amigo. They have a weakness for the ice cream. Pick up the bomb I've hidden in Harwood, hijack the regular ice cream van on its rounds, and lure the fools to their doom with the jingle-jingle. They hide in a warehouse in Atlantic Quay." Claude hung up the phone, and headed to Harwood, a short drive from here. Sure enough, there was a bomb stuffed in a briefcase near the fire station. He picked up the briefcase, and went to find the ice cream van. It was doing its rounds alright. Claude quickly pulled the driver out, and drove the van himself. He hid the bomb carefully, and drove to Atlantic Quays. He drove carefully towards the cones nearby, sounded the ice cream jingle, and quickly left the vehicle. The jingle attracted a nearby gang. Ah-ha! It's the Forelli gang behind this. Both Joey and El Burro would be proud to see this, Claude thought to himself. The Forellis gathered around, and was surprised to find that the ice cream van had no driver. They didn't care, and went inside the van to get some ice cream. Claude took the chance, and detonated the bomb inside. BOOM! The ice cream van went up in flames, and it took the Forelli gang with it. Mission successful, Claude thought to himself. Now it's time to collect the pay from El Burro for the dirty job.

Claude returned to the payphone at Hepburn Heights. It was still ringing, and El Burro had left his payment near the phone. El Burro had another score to settle, this time with the Triads. "Some insolent Triads stole my beautiful car last night, wrecked it and left it burning." El Burro said emotionally on the phone. "Some of my most precious donkey memorabilia was in the trunk – real collectibles that are irreplaceable, my friend. I've hidden a throbbing weapon on the edge of Chinatown. Take it and teach the Triad vandals to fear El Burro's wrath. Arriba!" El Burro means business with the Triads when he said that. Claude wasted no time to jack the nearest car, and drove it to Chinatown. Sure enough, El Burro had left a flame thrower with plenty of ammo in it. There was also a note, left by El Burro near the phone. It said to use the flame thrower and torch 30 Triads into ashes. Claude saw his chance. Some Triads have spotted him, and are coming to get him, mainly as payback for the destruction of their beloved Fish Factory.

Claude saw his chance, and started lighting the Triads one by one. After about 5 Triad goons were toasted, the cowardly ones started running, but running wasn't enough to get them killed too. Claude went to the nearby basketball court, and started torching the Triads there. By then, he had torched about 20 Triads. He needs 10 more to get his payment. His luck came when a greenish Belly-Up Triad van drove up, and dropped off 10 more Triads, all armed with Uzis. The silly Triads' Uzis were no match for the flame thrower he had. The attackers were all burnt to toast, while the driver of the van had fled. Another job well done. Claude returned to the payphone at Hepburn Heights for his assignment and his payment. He answered the phone after collecting his $10,000. El Burro had one final job for him to do.

"A thieving opportunist has stolen a van of my latest publication hot off the press." El Burro said. "But that SPANKED-up idiot has left the rear doors open and now tastefully photographed adult literature is being dropped all over Liberty. Take the van, and follow that trail of Donkey Does Dallas volumes 1, 2, 3 collecting it as you go. When you've followed the trail to that thieving SPANK-head, waste him. Then deliver my donkey derby to XXX Magazines in the Red Light District." Claude hung up, and safely placed his payment inside his wallet. Then, he headed to the van El Burro had provided for him. He jumped in, and he could see the entire trail of strewn magazines on the main road. El Burro instructed him to pick them up, and Claude did so. He hurried to get on the trial, as because XXX Magazines closes in another hour, and they don't like waiting. Claude followed the trial from Hepburn Heights to Saint Mark's. Traffic was heavy, but Claude didn't care, and neither did the police. The trial picked up from Saint Mark's to Chinatown. Despite a minor Triad roadblock, Claude still managed to keep on collecting the magazines, and followed the trial to the Red Light District. The trial later went by the Callahan Bridge, Callahan Point, Joey's Garage in Trenton, and it finally ends at Portland Harbor. And there was the thief who stole El Burro's collection of magazines. Claude charged towards the thief, and rammed him into the ground. Then, he had to race against the clock again: XXX Magazines closes in 30 minutes! He quickly drove the vehicle out of the Harbor and headed to XXX Magazines.

As he arrived, the store manager was a little cross, but pleased that his stocks arrived. "So, El Burro sent you, eh?" he asked Claude. He just nodded, and delivered him his goods. The store manager took all the magazines, and started selling them. Outside, many males awaited the latest El Burro magazines, among the men waiting are cops, Triads, businessmen, almost every male citizen in Portland had flocked to XXX to get the latest magazines. 30 minutes later, the store manager, having sold his entire stock, handed Claude his payment for the delivery, a whooping $20,000. Claude counted his money, and was pleased to know that he had enough cash to finally see 8-Ball again. Once again, he flagged a Cabbie, yanked the driver out, and drove to Harwood.


	8. The Slip

**Chapter 8: The Slip**

At Harwood, Claude knocked the door at 8-Ball's house again. 8-Ball opened the door, and Claude presented the money he requested to him. 8-Ball then handed him a sniper rifle, and said, "OK, let's do this thing. I can set this baby to detonate, but I still can't use a piece with these hands. Here, this rifle should help you pop some heads." 8-Ball then went inside, and took out a small case of explosives. Claude could not believe it. An explosive that small wouldn't have cost $100,000, unless 8-Ball just wants a share of his earnings. After all, he helped Claude escape the prison transport in the beginning, and he had given Claude knock-off rates for arming bombs at his shop. The two men then went to the Cabbie Claude jacked earlier, and headed to Portland Harbor, where the "Les Cargo" is still moored.

Near the moored ship, the rumors were then proved. The "Les Cargo" is indeed a Cartel-owned ship. Salvatore was right about the "Les Cargo" being a drug factory. It's time to sink that drug-infested boat. "Get a good vantage point then I'll head in when you fire the first shot." 8-Ball instructed. They both exited the cab, and went their separate ways. 8-Ball went to the nearby crates to hide, while Claude went to get a good vantage point. The best one at Portland Harbor was near the rooftop of the fuselage wharf. It was a good bird's eye's view, and there he saw it. 10 Cartel guards onboard, with 2 of them near the main entrance. Parked nearby are 2 Cartel Cruisers. Claude didn't bother about the cars (they're both empty, by the way), and aimed the rifle at 1 of the 2 guards, and popped his head off. He wasted no time to pop his comrade's head off too. Then quickly and silently, Claude wasted the remaining 8 Cartel guards onboard, 1 by 1. He didn't hit the fuel barrels; 8-Ball needed them to kick up some beautiful fireworks. With all 10 guards dead, 8-Ball then went inside the hull, and soon after that, left in a hurry. The bridge started to blow, along with the main stern and bow. 8-Ball quickly headed for the ramp, but knowing that he's a bomb expert, he could easily escape without going up with the boat. Luckily, 8-Ball left just in time as the ramp was about to break. The "Les Cargo" soon began to fall, and then the ship started to sink into the water. Hah, Claude thought. No more SPANK will come from THIS ship. Claude then went down to see 8-Ball. He congratulated 8-Ball for a good job, although he can't speak. 8-Ball then gave Claude half of the money he managed to pick off the hull and the guards' dead bodies. It was $150,000! 8-Ball the bid Claude farewell, and took a cab back home to Harwood. Claude then took one of the Cartel Cruisers, and drove to Salvatore's to tell him the good news.

Sure enough, Salvatore had been informed about the demise of the "Les Cargo", and he was excited to see Claude again. He had one final job for Claude. "It's my favorite cleaner!" He exclaimed after seeing Claude. "I'm proud of you my boy. You kicked the hell out of those grease balls. I've got just 1 little job for you before we can all celebrate. There's a car around the block of Luigi's Club. The inside is covered in brains. We had to help some guy make up his mind, and it proved a little messy. Take it to the crusher before the cops find it." Seems easy enough, Claude thought to himself. He took the Cruiser he stole from the Cartel, and drove to Luigi's Club. As he reached the edge of Luigi's Club, Maria paged. She informed Claude that the car was a trap, and to meet her at the slip road near Callahan Bridge. Alright Maria, I'll play your little game, Claude thought to himself. He then drove to the slip road, and was he surprised to hear what Maria had to say.

"Listen, Salvatore thinks we're going behind his back. So he was offering you to the Cartel, in order to make a deal." Maria told Claude about Salvatore. "I couldn't let him do that; I mean the worst thing is … it's my fault. I told him we're an item; don't ask me why I don't know." Claude was a little angry with Maria with this affair. But he was glad Maria saved his life. "Look, you're a marked man on Mafia turf and I've got to get out of here too. I've seen too much killing. Too much blood …" She paused, and introduces Claude to an Asian woman who's been beside Maria ever since they met up. "This is a friend of mine OK, an old friend … this is Asuka. She's someone we can trust." Claude was glad to hear that. Then, Asuka spoke to them. "C'mon, enough with the speeches." She speaks with a Japanese accent. "We've better get out of here before we get more hysterical Italians wanting less friendly reunions." She led Maria and Claude to her Reefer docked nearby, and instructed Claude to steer while she talks to Maria.

Claude did exactly as he was told, and slowly steered the Reefer. They bypassed Callahan Bridge, which was still in disrepair. After that, Asuka told Claude to dock the boat at one of the docks nearby. This was Staunton Island, the commercial district of the city. Claude then carefully docked the boat, not hoping to get a scratch on the boat.

The party of 3 then walked up to Asuka's condo, a pretty orange building nearby the docks. Maria and Asuka then gave Claude further instructions. "Asuka and I are gonna have to talk, eh … why don't you go cruise around?" Maria said. Asuka followed up. "You'll need a place to lie low. There's a warehouse in Belleville that should suit your needs. Come back to my condo when you're ready, and we can have a little chat." Maria and Asuka both went inside. Claude decided to go to Belleville; he's quite exhausted from doing jobs for El Burro and 8-Ball. Nearby was a Stinger that has a custom paint job, which Claude presumes it's Asuka's. On the windscreen was a note that says, "Feel free to use my car at anytime. –Asuka." Oh well, Claude thought. He then hopped in the Stinger, and drove to Belleville, and sure enough, there was a warehouse there. The owner had been waiting for Claude for a while. He told Claude that his apartment was upstairs, and to get there, he had to use the lift. Claude did that, and went back to his new hideout to get some rest.

Note: The following sector is not based on the GTA3 storyline. For those who wants to follow the whole story straight, I'd suggest you don't read this part. I only wrote this for fun.

Asuka and Maria went inside Asuka's apartment, and there, they had their talk. For a while, everything seemed fine, until a helicopter soon flew in from the air, and landed at the helipad on the roof. Inside the helicopter were 4 men, all Chinese. A man in sunglasses was escorted by another Chinese man who was beside him. They both had suits on, and why they landed here was a mystery. The 2 men then took the elevator down, and went to Asuka's apartment.

Asuka answered the door, and wasn't at all pleased to see the 2 Chinese men. "What are you doing here?" She asked them. The mystery men said nothing, and then the man in sunglasses said, "I just dropped by to talk." Asuka didn't exactly accept the man's answer, but she let the 2 men inside anyway. Maria saw the 2 men coming in, and was also surprised to see them.

"Asuka. Who're these men?" She asked. Asuka then briefly replied. "Maria, I haven't told anybody about this, not even your new friend or my brother Kenji, but I'm married." Maria didn't understand. Asuka sighed, and explained everything. "This is Wu Zi Mu. I met him in San Fierro. It was before I met you at Las Venturas, when you're with Salvatore. He and I … are … married." She replied sheepishly with the final 3 words. The mystery man finally spoke too. "You must be Maria," he said with a gentlemanly, but Chinese, accent. "I'm Wu Zi Mu, but you can call me Woozie." Maria was a little glad to know that he's harmless. "If you don't mind, Maria." He continued. "I want to talk to Asuka. In private." Maria agreed, and thereafter, left the condo.

After that, Asuka and Woozie got together again. However, Asuka still didn't really accept Woozie's uninvited arrival.

"So, what's your business here?" She started. She's a little cross with him. "Trying to put me out of business again?"

"No, let me explain." Woozie said. "Listen, I understand that your Yakuza has a little problem … so I was wondering …"

"Wonder what?" Asuka snapped. "Wondering if you would take this opportunity to call your Triads to undermine our already weakened power?"

"No …" Woozie remained calm. "No, I don't have that kind of intention. I just came here to take charge of the Triads in Liberty. Those idiots have failed to show me respect, so I'm taking over. And while I'm at that, I came to offer help for you." Woozie then placed his hand on Asuka's shoulder.

"What! To help!" Asuka was a little mad, and she took Woozie's hand off her shoulder. "After you ruined the Yakuza's venture in Las Venturas, what makes you think I'll accept your offer? Besides, I'm doing very well myself, thank you very much!" She then paused, and then slowly and calmly said, "Please don't talk about anything that's not about business. We're … we're no longer related in that way." Before Woozie could say anything, she just told him to leave. Woozie felt a little disheartened, and told his boys to leave. They quietly went upstairs, and took off in their helicopter. They then flew towards Portland, and they disappeared into the horizon.

Asuka, on the other hand, just looked at the helicopter and silently said to herself, "You idiot. Why did you do this?" Looks like they still love each other, but are too shy to express themselves. Maria then came home, and saw Asuka near the balcony. She didn't know what happened, and she don't intend to. She just scurried back to her room, and left Asuka alone.

I know I'm a bad romance writer, but it's the best I got.


End file.
